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Andrew Neil

Kirsty Young's castaway is journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the journalist Andrew Neil. For 11 years he was editor of The Sunday Times. Under him, the paper broke the story of Israel's nuclear capabilities, revealed the Queen's dismay at the tone of Margaret Thatcher's administration and shone a bright light onto the difficulties of Princess Diana and Prince Charles's marriage. But as well as reporting the news, the paper made headlines too - Andrew Neil steered The Sunday Times through its move to Wapping and the bitter and often violent dispute that followed.

Much has been made of his rise to be a figure at the heart of the establishment. A grammar school boy who went on to study at Glasgow University, he threw himself into university life; he edited the student newspaper, was a keen young debater and chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students. It seemed as if he was destined for a life in politics - but he decided he wanted to live a little first and then found that while he revelled in the political debate, the life of an MP was not for him. He is now Editor in Chief at Press Holdings and an established and authoritative political broadcaster.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: First Movement of Violin Concerto in D Major by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Book: Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
Luxury: Wind-up radio.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 2 Mar 2007 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM

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Music Played

  • James Taylor

    Fire and Rain

    • James Taylor: Classic Songs.
    • CBS.

  • Blood, Sweat & Tears

    Smiling Phases

    • The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears: What Goes Up.
    • Columbia.

  • Miles Davis

    Concierto de Aranjuez

    • Sketches of Spain.
    • CBS.

  • Edward Elgar

    Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36: Variation IX "Nimrod"

    Orchestra: Montreal Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Charles Dutoit

    • Enigma Variations.
    • Decca.

  • AntonΓ­n DvoΕ™Γ΅k

    Symphony No. 9 in E minor 'From the New World'

    Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Sir Georg Solti

    • DvorΓ΅k :Symphony No 9.
    • Decca.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Violin Concerto in D major - 1st movement

      Orchestra: London Philharmonic Conductor: Okko Kamu

      • Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto/Kennedy.
      • EMI.

  • The Beatles

    Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End

    • Abbey Road.
    • Parlophone.

  • Pet Shop Boys

    Being Boring

    • Behaviour.
    • Parlophone.

  • Book Choice

    • Wealth of Nations - Adam Smith

  • Luxury Choice

    • Wind-up radio

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Andrew Neil

Broadcasts

  • Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 2 Mar 2007 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 FM

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